I have a question about the coming months ahead which for me are considered the dark months.

For the past 20 years - if not all my life - from the Winter solstice to the start of Spring I have consistently had either "bad luck" resulting in or just plain old health problems. These problems can actually be document in medical records - kind of sad that I have a paper trail :) About 4 years back it literally started on 12/21 and ended on 03/21 which is usually how it goes now - if it's going to happen. Things will fire up December and will hit the wall in March.

Most of the time, however, the bulk of it is confined to just the month of March - up until the equinox. Finally, at this point in my life, I lay low in March and do nothing out of the ordinary that month, schedule nothing and honestly, as this seems to be the worst day, do nothing whatsoever on St. Patty's day. No sharp objects, no hot stoves, no appliances! It is common knowledge and while we joke about, it is taken quite seriously in my immediate family and with close friends.

The term dark months was given to my by the acupuncturist. After reviewing my history, talking a long time and having a month or so of treatment, they said, "These are the dark months for you. You need to be mindful and take extra care of yourself."

I thought about this while reading the new thread about grounding and the darker aspects of Paganism. I'm not afraid of this time or the darkness. I've accepted it and I know it's there. I'm not afraid of the physical pain - or the resulting emotional or spiritual pain that sometimes comes. I've learned I must actually withdraw from the outside world and step into the pain and be with it in order to neutralize it. It has no control; there is no battle. At this point in my life, I know who I am and I'm far stronger than it is.

Since this time is approaching, I thought I'd put this out there and see if anyone else has this experience or is aware of it and has any thoughts or advice.

For the most part, other than March, the rest of the year is pretty darn great!! :)

I have a question about the coming months ahead which for me are considered the dark months.

For the past 20 years - if not all my life - from the Winter solstice to the start of Spring I have consistently had either "bad luck" resulting in or just plain old health problems. These problems can actually be document in medical records - kind of sad that I have a paper trail :) About 4 years back it literally started on 12/21 and ended on 03/21 which is usually how it goes now - if it's going to happen. Things will fire up December and will hit the wall in March.

Most of the time, however, the bulk of it is confined to just the month of March - up until the equinox. Finally, at this point in my life, I lay low in March and do nothing out of the ordinary that month, schedule nothing and honestly, as this seems to be the worst day, do nothing whatsoever on St. Patty's day. No sharp objects, no hot stoves, no appliances! It is common knowledge and while we joke about, it is taken quite seriously in my immediate family and with close friends.

The term dark months was given to my by the acupuncturist. After reviewing my history, talking a long time and having a month or so of treatment, they said, "These are the dark months for you. You need to be mindful and take extra care of yourself."

I thought about this while reading the new thread about grounding and the darker aspects of Paganism. I'm not afraid of this time or the darkness. I've accepted it and I know it's there. I'm not afraid of the physical pain - or the resulting emotional or spiritual pain that sometimes comes. I've learned I must actually withdraw from the outside world and step into the pain and be with it in order to neutralize it. It has no control; there is no battle. At this point in my life, I know who I am and I'm far stronger than it is.

Since this time is approaching, I thought I'd put this out there and see if anyone else has this experience or is aware of it and has any thoughts or advice.

For the most part, other than March, the rest of the year is pretty darn great!! :)

Belief is perhaps the most powerful force each of us can employ in shaping our lives. We often set our own expectations based on what we believe especially if another source has provided an opinion or 'named' something. Deliberate associations can often trigger repetitions of former events because we make choices that then narrow our options sufficiently to create similar circumstances. If you understand the foundation, you may be able to discern a pattern and discover what contributes to the repetition. Something to consider.

Something else to consider. Darkness does not always equate to evil or bad or pain. We are cyclic beings. Light is succeeded by dark, day succeeded by night, summer succeeded by winter. Each is a natural state, a normal rhythm. We need both for different reasons. Perhaps being mindful and taking care of yourself may be translated as focusing inward rather than outward during the winter months, taking time to care for yourself in ways that in brighter months, you have no time to do. Transitioning back into the 'light' in March might be done mindfully as well such as ritually and symbolically.

Sometimes interpretation also comes down to your underlying spiritual beliefs. In my religion for example, the ancient Goddess is reborn at each Winter Solstice but She also walks below the Earth between the Equinoxes. Fall She deliberately descends, Spring She deliberately Ascends and will in time become the new Mother Goddess that gives birth to the ancient Goddess at the Solstice. So for many Dianics, these dark months are balanced between the external Light of She who is Reborn and the internal Darkness where She walks below within the womb of the earth. Our rituals reflect both and we honor and enact both in balance. Belief shaping our expectations.

[QUOTE=CreakyHedgewitch;108176]Belief is perhaps the most powerful force each of us can employ in shaping our lives. We often set our own expectations based on what we believe especially if another source has provided an opinion or 'named' something. Deliberate associations can often trigger repetitions of former events because we make choices that then narrow our options sufficiently to create similar circumstances. If you understand the foundation, you may be able to discern a pattern and discover what contributes to the repetition. Something to consider.

*** Belief is a powerful force I certainly agree. I've looked for a pattern but have yet to find one. This is not something that occurs every year necessarily but as an example, I have an auto-immune disease, and this is when I experience the worst flares. Another example would be I'll get a cold which then snowballs into something else during this time. I no longer have any type of dental work done due to past problems happening March. And just to clarify, I'm talking about big problems on all accounts - hospital stays or the potential for permanent damage - not a bump or something. :) Things that at any other time would have just been routine turned into life threatening.

Something else to consider. Darkness does not always equate to evil or bad or pain. We are cyclic beings. Light is succeeded by dark, day succeeded by night, summer succeeded by winter. Each is a natural state, a normal rhythm. We need both for different reasons. Perhaps being mindful and taking care of yourself may be translated as focusing inward rather than outward during the winter months, taking time to care for yourself in ways that in brighter months, you have no time to do. Transitioning back into the 'light' in March might be done mindfully as well such as ritually and symbolically.

*** I think this is why I'm not afraid. I don't equate darkness with evil or bad. Pain is just part of life for me now. In my life and where I live, there is darkness during that time of the year and I seem to experience more pain during those months. I guess that is the association.

*** Shortly before someone I care about went into the hospital to have a baby, I told her to please not be afraid; yes, there is pain but to not be afraid of it - to fear it is to give it control. I know she didn't understand - who does the first time? We talked later and she said at one point fear had taken over process and she felt completely out of control. She remembered our talk, managed to pull it together, "talked" herself down and things got better.

Sometimes interpretation also comes down to your underlying spiritual beliefs. In my religion for example, the ancient Goddess is reborn at each Winter Solstice but She also walks below the Earth between the Equinoxes. Fall She deliberately descends, Spring She deliberately Ascends and will in time become the new Mother Goddess that gives birth to the ancient Goddess at the Solstice. So for many Dianics, these dark months are balanced between the external Light of She who is Reborn and the internal Darkness where She walks below within the womb of the earth. Our rituals reflect both and we honor and enact both in balance. Belief shaping our expectations.

*** Very interesting. I really don't know what my spiritual beliefs are to be honest. I can only tell you I'm not a Christian.

C.H.[/QUOTE]

C.H., Thank you for your response. I don't know how to break up a post into separate quotes (I know it can be done!) so I hope this isn't confusing.

Man is a creature of the light, we fear the dark, huddle by the fire, make the night sky burn with the fury of our electric light to hold it at bay. Yet the night is in our soul too.

Inside a house you sit in the light and stare out at the darkness and fear it, in fall you see the life of the land slowly die off and decay. Outside the house, in the darkness of the forest you can feel your senses stretch out, embracing the rythm of the night. Your sight is gone, colour is gone, but the darkness has its own lessons. There is a whisper in the stillness, a peace that guides you gently, teaches you to reach with other senses and explore.

In the fall do you see the death around you, or the wonderous fire of life?

There is a heart in the night, a soul in the winter. Make friends with it. It will be easier on you when you no longer are at odds with that portion of yourself.

[QUOTE=John_T_Mainer;108842]Man is a creature of the light, we fear the dark, huddle by the fire, make the night sky burn with the fury of our electric light to hold it at bay. Yet the night is in our soul too.

Inside a house you sit in the light and stare out at the darkness and fear it, in fall you see the life of the land slowly die off and decay. Outside the house, in the darkness of the forest you can feel your senses stretch out, embracing the rythm of the night. Your sight is gone, colour is gone, but the darkness has its own lessons. There is a whisper in the stillness, a peace that guides you gently, teaches you to reach with other senses and explore.

In the fall do you see the death around you, or the wonderous fire of life?

There is a heart in the night, a soul in the winter. Make friends with it. It will be easier on you when you no longer are at odds with that portion of yourself.[/QUOTE]

Thank you JTM.

I don't fear it. People bring out fear in me not the dark or night or nature or the earth. People can be terrifying sometimes! Fall is actually my favorite time of year - I enjoy it more than Spring. I live in the woods and Fall's brilliance and smell is wondrous to me. I'm the "loon" in our little subdivision standing outside in the dark in the middle of the night looking at the stars or the northern lights.

There is an emotional disorder called Seasonal Affective Disorder. I occurs in the winter months because we typically get less sunlight exposure. Our bodies, especially our brain, needs the light to process certain chemicals that help keep our spirits up. I suffer from this every year as well. I sused to go tanning in order to help some, but after a friend contracted skin cancer, I stopped doing that. For me it is really difficult because I also suffer from Major Depression as well as a chemical imbalance. I have to take medication to keep myself balanced.